In Done With The Crying: Help and Healing for Mothers of Estranged Adult Children, Sheri McGregor, M.A., helps kind and supportive parents who know they did their best to break free from emotional pain and move forward in their own lives.
As a loving mother to whom the unthinkable happened, McGregor knows the horrible shock that wrings a parent dry, triggers denial, blame, anger, and shame. With empathy and understanding, as well as tools, the latest research, and insight from more than 9,000 parents of estranged adult children, McGregor helps parents of estranged adults plan ahead, prepare for emotional triggers, and prevail over setbacks and pain.
You can be happy again. In a calm yet authoritative voice, and with exercises derived from her work as a life coach and her own recovery, McGregor helps mothers who did their best to come to terms with their estranged adult child's choices, and regain their health and happiness.
To fathers of estranged adult children this book can help you, too. -Ninety-three percent of the parents who answer my survey at RejectedParents.Net are mothers, - says Sheri McGregor. -That's why the title is directed at them. But many of book's examples are from couples, and include the experiences of fathers. Some passages directly highlight men's reactions, including my husband's. The principles presented are relevant to fathers, and the strategies for coping can be used by anyone.
In this encouraging and comprehensive book, McGregor fully covers the phenomenon of estranged adult children from families who never expected a son or daughter to cut ties and walk away.
Nine in-depth chapters provide dozens of inspiring examples from among the thousands of parents of estranged adult children. Gain understanding and practical help from a mother who knows the pain of this devastating loss with all its uncertainty and heartache. Hope can remain, but you don't have to stay stalled, forever waiting. You can move past the disbelief and distress. Take charge. Reclaim yourself and your life only maybe even better.
The latest research, helpful exercises, reflection prompts, and dozens of real-life examples, cover the following topics and more:
- Managing the shock of -The Early Daze.
- Answering the gnawing, -Why?- Reasons for the growing trend of estranged adult children from loving families.
- Getting needed support for this often misundersood problem.
- Managing the persistent and ambiguous nature of loss from estrangement.
- The emotional impact--it's far-reaching and insidious.
- Managing the Effects on the Family.
- What it means to reconcile.
- Life Goes On. Estate planning, end-of-life decisions, grandparents' rights, and other considerations.
- Moving forward in a meaningful life.
About the Author
Sheri McGregor has a Master's Degree in Human Behavior and is a certified life coach. Her work for parents of estranged adults began at her blog. As a writer whose soothing words help others heal, she has become a powerful and compassionate voice for parents of estranged adult children.
Industry Reviews
"Thank you for Done With The Crying: Help and Healing for Mothers of Estranged Adult Children. The book is a must read for parents of estranged adult children and mental health professionals working with these families. Sheri McGregor's work is a breath of fresh air offering a new perspective and providing support, encouragement, resources, and compassion to good parents that have found themselves in an unimaginable situation." ----Maritza Parks, LMHC, Inspired Journey Counseling
"While Mothers are mentioned on the cover, dads, this is for you too! Done with the Crying is for any (and all) family member who wants to heal and move forward. This wonderful book will help you see how you can hold your chin up high, dry your eyes, and get on with your life." ----Joi Sigers, Self Help Daily.com
"Done With the Crying also provides much time for reflection, for taking time to think about ones life and to read the stories of other women who are going through a similar situation. The book is easy to read, and provides much support and insight in a gentle and understanding way." ---Hennie Weiss, M.A., Metapsychology Online Reviews
"This is my best resource to assist families whose adult children have rejected them. In my role as a family life educator, I work with those affected by a loved one's mental illness, and the sad phenomenon of estrangement is rampant. I've searched for resources and education, but there is precious little available to help rejected parents move forward. It did not take me many pages in to see the value for my work, and I often recommend this compassionately written book to parents and families who are in so much pain." ---Mara J. Briere, MA CFLE, President and Founder, Grow a Strong Family, Inc.
